Harry T. Tanaka at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Hawaii · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Harry T. Tanaka
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 1982-present
- Harry Toshio Tanaka (March 15, 1921 – December 19, 2017) was a distinguished American judge who served on the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) from 1982 until his retirement in 1991
- 1961–1982 – Partner, Yamaguchi & Tanaka, Honolulu, practicing civil law for over 20 years
- 1953 – Law clerk to the presiding judge, U.S. District Court, Hawaii
- Law clerk to Judge J. Frank McLaughlin, U.S. District Court
- Associate, Tsukiyama & Yamaguchi / Law Office of Ralph T. Yamaguchi
Education
- Law degree — Yale Law School — 1952
- University of Hawaii — B.A. (1949)
Additional information
- In 1982, Governor George R. Ariyoshi appointed Tanaka to the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals.
- He was admitted to the Hawaii Bar in 1952 and later clerked for Judge J. Frank McLaughlin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii
- Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son of Kenichi and Hisayo (Nakano) Tanaka, Harry Toshio Tanaka obtained a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii in 1949 and a Bachelor of Laws (J.D.) from Yale University in 1952.
- Before his legal career, Tanaka held the role of a Sergeant in the U.S. Army (1943–1947), including time in the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific Theater, primarily in New Guinea, where he translated captured Japanese documents and interrogated Japanese soldiers
- Practiced for more than 21 years.
- Served with distinction during the court’s early years, shaping its jurisprudence
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Extended Coverage Notice
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Camera Microphone Placement
Statewide
Hawaii leaves courtroom camera and microphone placement to the judge and cautions that judges may differ on placement rules.
The judge will decide where cameras and microphones can be placed in the courtroom. Judges differ on this - so please ask.Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗
Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 8, 2026.
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
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Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Cameras and Audio Equipment ↗Remote Court Hearings via Zoom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
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